INFLAMMATION OF THE ELBOW-JOINT. 793 



of the horses above mentioned are said to have recovered after 

 reduction of the luxation, but the statements require confirmation. 

 Congenital luxation is unpromising, and in direct proportion to the 

 amount of deformity present. Even if the bones can be replaced, 

 retention is very difficult, and treatment can scarcely be advised. 



Treatment. Reposition and retention are effected under 

 anaesthesia and in accordance with general principles. In carnivora, 

 the joint may be supported by plaster bandages ; in large animals 

 this is impracticable. 



IV.— INFLAMMATION OF THE ELBOW-JOINT. 



Acute inflammation of the elbow -joint is seen in all species of 

 animals, sometimes from wounds of the joint, sometimes from 

 metastatic disease, like "navel-ill" of young animals. In dogs 

 the joint may be opened by bites, in horses by contused wounds, 

 or by injuries from stable-forks. Disease may also be caused by 

 injury to the sheath of the flexor metacarpi externus, which 

 communicates with the elbow-joint. Franck states that this sheath 

 always opens into the elbow-joint by a slit about 1 line in breadth. 

 Lothes saw chronic inflammation of the elbow-joint in a horse, 

 apparently produced in the first instance by an injury to this sheath. 

 Lanzillotti treated a horse which suffered from necrosis of the radius 

 in consequence of a kick. During operation for removal of the 

 sequestrum the elbow-joint was opened, but under antiseptic treat- 

 ment healing occurred. 



Chronic inflammation of the joint is rare. Roloff noticed fungous 

 arthritis of the elbow-joint in the horse ; Dammann, a cystic 

 enchondroma. As a rule, tumour formation is not frequent. Arthritis 

 chronica is difficult to diagnose with certainty, and is generally 

 included in '"shoulder lameness." 



Percival noted a form of chronic lameness in the horse which 

 presented considerable resemblance to laminitis. Post-mortem 

 showed chronic inflammation of both elbow-joints, a portion of the 

 articular surface being worn away and replaced with granulations. 



Symptoms. Acute inflammation of the elbow- joint due to wounds 

 produces excessive pain on movement. The patient may sustain 

 weight on the limb, but carefully avoids any movement of the joint, 

 particularly at the commencement, when acute synovitis alone exists. 

 Afterwards fever and marked swelling of the whole joint set in. 



The course is often unfavourable, acute inflammation of this 

 joint frequently ending in slaughter of the patient, and chronic 



